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Letter from Charles Goddard, at Fort Snelling, to his mother telling about when he will receive his discharge, a recent letter from Matthew Marvin, and good wages for lumbermen
Partial transcription of the letter:

Ft. Snelling Minn, April 30 /64
Dear Mother
As I expected the Regiment will not get their discharge and pay before Tuesday night next- until which time we will get pay and rations. The Regt was reviewed by Gov. Miller, Sibley and staff and had the last dress parade that some of them will ever be on. Col. Adams addressed the Regt. also and Miller. We have no roll calls – do not mind the officers nor in fact are we soldiers for evry man calls him-self a citizen, although we have not got our papers yet we can do any thing – go any whare we pleas with out the consent of any one – at least the boys do so and do not get in any trouble. I think I wrote you that I got a letter and photograph of Mat. Marvin, our Orderly (or was)[.] he was getting along quite well and had been out to see some friends of Capt. Peram’s – friends or relations by the name of Saunders…There are some good chances for lumberman up here. they are getting from $3.00 $3.50 per day for men that want to go on the drive and men that want to go down on the rafts can get $2.00 per day and I call these pretty good we ges. I think that you need not look for me before next Saturday, for they say that Nellson cannot get the muster rolls ready. I feel as if I could take some of these officers by the neck and choke them until they could take hold and do there work […] getting on a “bum” in St. Paul every night.
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